Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel visited the State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC) this morning to assess the situation in the affected districts following Cyclone Biparjoy’s impact on the Gujarat coast the previous night.

Relief Commissioner Alok Pandey provided details of the meeting, stating that due to the state government’s proactive planning and collective efforts, Gujarat was able to prevent major casualties. Notably, there have been no reported deaths in the state as a result of the cyclone. The state government executed one of the largest evacuations in Gujarat’s history, relocating over one lakh citizens from affected areas to safer places. This timely action has saved numerous lives in the face of this natural calamity, which lasted for nearly five days.

The Relief Commissioner further informed that the Chief Minister received a comprehensive report on the situation in each district from the officials present at the meeting. Immediate instructions were given to restore water, communication systems, electricity, and roads in the affected districts. Moreover, the concerned officials were directed to assess the initial damages, and provide essential support such as financial aid, house clearance, shelter assistance, and assistance for livestock in the affected areas.

Watch | Relief Commissioner of Gujarat govt briefing this afternoon on Biporjoy cyclone situation in which he shares primary data available from the districts pic.twitter.com/FW97z7ilBC

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While acknowledging the economic losses in the cyclone-affected districts, Mr. Pandey expressed confidence in the quick recovery from this setback. The cyclone resulted in the closure of 263 roads and the uprooting of 1,137 trees, but all the fallen trees have been cleared, and 260 roads have been reopened. Restoration work is currently underway on the remaining three damaged roads.

He further mentioned that strong winds caused 5,120 power poles to collapse in the affected districts, resulting in power outages in over 4,600 villages. However, electricity has been restored in 3,580 villages, and the PGVCL teams are working to restore power in the remaining villages despite the ongoing rainfall.

Providing an overview of the damage, he stated that 20 concrete houses, 9 semi-pucca houses, and approximately 65 huts completely collapsed in the affected districts. Additionally, 474 concrete houses and 2 semi-pucca houses suffered partial damage.

According to the Meteorological Department’s forecast, the storm will cross Gujarat in the evening, followed by a gradual decrease in wind speed. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is still expected in districts such as Kutch, Dwarka, Patan, and Banaskantha, as the wind speed remains high in these areas.

The review meeting was attended by senior officials, including Chief Secretary, Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, the Additional Chief Secretaries of Revenue and Health Departments, and other Principal Secretaries and Secretaries. DeshGujarat